Ten thoughts from the South Carolina game are available here.
1) Last week we focused on all the issues with the offense. There are fewer problems to focus on this week. The offense was certainly not perfect on Saturday. It was simply decent which, with this defense, was good enough on Saturday and will probably be good enough to get Missouri to six wins. As evidence, Missouri had 367 yards and 23 points against the Gamecocks. Those numbers would put them 9th and tied for 11th in the SEC if they were season averages...which they basically are. Mizzou's season averages are 364.8 yards and 23.9 points per game. So Saturday was exactly an average performance. Which kind of proves the idea that if Missouri had been average offensively in every game, it would be at least 5-3 and maybe 6-2. And Missouri's average on offense this year would still be below average. But it would be good enough.
2) Saturday, to me, looked like a team that has finally figured out its identity. Eli Drinkwitz basically said the same thing after the game. This is a team that is going to lean on its defense. It is a team that simply has to avoid mistakes offensively. It is not the offense Drinkwitz or fans hoped they had before the season. Drinkwitz talked a lot during the lead up to the season about coming out of the bunker mentality and letting his team throw the ball around the field a little bit. That was the hope. It is not the reality. There were two options with this team: You could be stubborn and bang your head into the same wall and insist you had the guys to do what you wanted to do two months ago. Or you could accept who you are, lean into it, put the fate of the season on the shoulders of your defense and try to win games 23-10 (or even 23-20). Credit to Drinkwitz for doing the latter. You can complain that it didn't happen a little sooner if you want to, but I'd prefer to focus on the fact that it did happen. Because by accepting what this team is and leaning into the strengths of it, you give yourself a shot at a six or seven-win season still. It's not great...but it's what's available to you right now.
3) So what are the chances of getting to six or seven wins?
Stay up to date on all the Mizzou news with your premium subscription
Talk about this story and more in The Tigers' Lair
Make sure you're caught up on all the Tiger news and headlines
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for video and live streaming coverage
